Device for packaging fruit and the like.



PATENTED JULY 25, 1905.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DEVICE FOR PACKAGING FRUIT AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 25, 1905.

Application filed March 24, 1905. Serial N0. 251 ,909-

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LORENZ OTZEN, a citizen of the United States,residing at the city and in the county of San Francisco and State ofCalifornia, have invented new and'useful Improvements in Devices forPackaging Fruit and the Like, of which the following is a specification.

, My invention relates to a device which is especially designed forplacing dried fruits into rectangular or cubical packages convenient fortransportation and sale.

It consists in the combination of devices and in details of constructionwhich will be more fully explained by reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is a front View of my apparatus. Fig. 2 is aside elevation of same. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a former placedon a metallic base. i

In the packing of dried fruit and like articles into rectangular orcubical packages or boxes it is customary to employ forms which are madeof metal and hinged together at one angle, so that they may be openedatthe diagonally opposite angle. These forms are of a width and depthsuificient to receive a quantity of material which will fill the box orpackage within which it is ultimately designed to inclose it.

The form is placed beneath a press and when filled with fruit the fruitis compressed to the requisite degree. Then the form is opened, leavingthe fruit in the shape which the form has given it. p

It is the object of my invention to provide an integral and continuousformer and means by which such a former may be removed from the fruitwithout hinges or joints.

As shown in the drawings, A is a box of suitable shape and capacityusually rectangular in horizontal section and having a suflicient depthto receive the amount of fruit re quired to make the package, allowingfor the compression that will take place. This box is open both at topand bottom and is usually placed upon a metallic base, as at 2. Thefruit having been placed within the box and the latter sufiicientlyfilled, a board or plate,

as at 3, is placed upon the top of the fruit, and the device beingplaced under any suitable press the fruit is compressed to the requireddegree.

As I have here shown, the press may be of any suitable character, suchas a lever-press having a guided slidable stem which fits into the block4, where it may be held by a setscrew. Through this block extend thevertically-disposed guide-rods 5, and these are surrounded by spiralsprings, as shown at 6. These guide-rods are slidable in the block 4 andat the lower ends are fixed to a plate 7, which plate is adapted to restupon a board or plate within the forming-box. When pressure is applied,the block or platen Lois depressed until the short rods 5, which projectin line with each other from the plates L and 7, are brought intocontact, and the fruit is then compressed to any desired degree.

In order toproperly place the box or former in line with these movablepressing parts, I have shown a plate 8, which has a notch cut away inone side of such size that the edges of the forming-box will exactly fitinto the notch. This plate is fixed and slidable upon a standard, as at9, which is bolted or otherwise fixed with relation to the press, andthus the forming-boxes can be rapidly and accurately placed in line ofthe movement of the plunger. When the fruit has been suitablycompressed, it is desirable to leave it upon the base-plate 2, uponwhich the forming-box stands, and as the fruit will have a certainamount of adhesion to the sides of the former some means are necessaryto hold the fruit down while lifting the former. Such means I have shownin the form of lugs or projections 10, which are here shown upon theends of the forming-box, and these projections serve as attachments tolift the former,while the fruit within may be held in position until theformer has been released from the compressed package.

In very small packages it will only be necessary to press the thumbsupon the plate which rests upon the fruit and with the fingers to pullup on the lugs or projections 10, thus holding the fruit down by thepressure upon theplate and lifting the former until it is clear of thecompressed package. These packages may then be removed with the plateupon which they rest, and the case or covering with which they are to befinally and permanently inclosed is applied at other points.

Where the packages are large, it will need some stronger method forlifting the former. In the present case I have shown arms 11 hinged tothe ends of the plate 4, and the lower ends of these arms haveinwardlyturned hook portions which are adapted to engage with theprojections or lugs 1 00f the former. Springs 13 act to normally closethese lower ends in, and the ends are so beveled or inclined that whenthe plate 4 is pressed down in the action of compressing the fruit theseends of the levers will hook beneath the lugs of the former and inreadiness to lift it when desired. As soon as the pressure is releasedthe plate 4: will be forced up by the action of the springs 6, and thesepressing upon the plate 7 will hold the latter down and with it thefruit beneath. The hooks at the lower ends of the lever-arms engagingthe lugs on the former, the pressure ofthe springs lifting the plate 4will also lift these levers and will thusraise the former to the fruit,leaving the latter in position upon its supporting-plate.

As soon as the former is clear of the fruit it is released from thelevers as follows: In the upper part of the standard 9 or at otherconvenientpoint are fixed the arms 15, and

these arms are in such position that as the plate 4 rises the upper endsof the hinged levers, which are bent inwardly, as shown, will passbetween the arms 15 and will thus be compressed against the tension ofthe springs 13, and the lower hook ends of the levers will be disengagedfrom the former A, thus leaving it free to be removed. As soon as theplate 4 is again depressed the upper ends of the lever-arms will clearthe arms 15 and will thus allow the springs 13 to act and close thelower hook ends of the lever-arms into position to again engage the lugsof the next forming-box. Thus the operation of compressing and formingthe fruit is rapidly carried on, and the fruit is readily released fromthe former and left in position to receive its permanent envelop.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, 1s

1. In a fruit-pressing device, the combination of a box having rigidsides and open top and bottom, means for compressing fruit therein, aninterior pressure-plate, means for raising the box after the fruit hasbeen compressed therein, and means for holding the pressure-plate incontact with the fruit while the box is being raised relative theretowhere- I by the fruit is stripped from the box.

2. In a fruit pressing and packing device, a rigid-sided box open at topand bottom, a plate fittingwithin the same and through which pressure isapplied upon the fruit, a press for applying pressure to the plate,exterior lugs on the box and devices carried by the press to engage saidlugs at the comple- 3. In a fruit pressing and packing device, a boxwith rigid sides and open top and bottom, a pressure-plate fitting thebox, means for pressing the plate upon the fruit, engaging means betweenthe box and pressure devices for connecting one with the other wherebythe box is raised during the return movement of the pressure devices,and springs through which an elastic pressure is transmitted to theplate substantially coordinate with the movement of the box whereby thefruit is ejected from the box.

4:. In a fruit-pressing device, a box with open top and bottom, lugsupon the exterior of the box, a plate fitting the interior of the box,means for applying an elastic pressure to said plate and the fruit, andmeans engaging said lugs whereby the box may be lifted while pressureupon the fruit is continued.

5. In a fruit-pressing device, a box with open top and bottom and asupport for the box, a spring-pressed plate fitting the box, a pressacting through the springs upon the plate, lugs upon the box, andconnections between the lugs and press and adapted during the returnmovement of the press to raise the box while the fruit is held down bythe springs.

6. In a fruit-pressing device, a box with open top and bottom andasupport upon which it rests, a plate movable in the box, a press and aplaten movable thereby, springs through which an elastic pressure istransmitted from the platen to the plate in the box after the fruit iscompressed, lugs on the box, latches upon the platen engaging the'lugsand acting to raise the box while the plate is held down by the springs.

7. In a fruit-pressing device, a box with open top and bottom, and apressure-plate fitting the box, a press and a platen connectedtherewith, springs interposed between the pressure-plate and the platen,lugs upon the box, spring-pressed latches upon the platen which engagethe lugs when the platen is depressed and by which the box is raisedwhen the platen rises to leave the pressure-plate and fruit.

8. In a fruit-pressing device, a box with open top and bottom and apressure-plate fit ting therein, a plunger and a platen movabletherewith, springs interposed between the plate and plunger,spring-pressed latches hinged to the plunger lugs upon the box withwhich the latches engage when the plunger is depressed whereby the boxis raised when the plunger rises, and stops by which the latches aresubsequently opened to release the box.

9. In a fruit-pressing device, a box, with open top and bottom, and apressure-plate fitting therein, a plunger and a platen movabletherewith, means for transmitting pressure from the plunger to thepressure-plate, means for lifting the box after compression has beencompleted, and springs acting between the plunger and thepressure-plate, to hold the latter down While the box is raised.

10. In a fruit-pressing device, a box with open top and bottom and apressure-plate fitting therein, a plunger and a platen movabletherewith, a guide by which the box is alined with the press mechanism,means for-trans- I Initting pressure from the plunger to thepressure-plate in the box, means for lifting the

